Develop skills to meet market needs – Adebayo

The Senior Consultant, Insel Consulting, Mr. Adedoyin Adebayo, in this interview with IFE ADEDAPO, explains how stakeholders can address skills deficit in the country

Is shortage of critical skills really a problem?

Conversation about skills deficit is ubiquitous across the globe and in various industries. There are lots of skills across a range of industries. All of these industries – telecommunications, oil and gas, aviation, civil engineering, health care – require different skills.

However, from my experience in terms of transferable or generic skills which can be used across large numbers of these industries, I have observed skills deficit in the following areas among job seekers, particularly recent graduates in the country- leadership, critical thinking, communication, problem solving, sales talent, general business knowledge and entrepreneurship.

What can stakeholders (private sector employers and government) do to address the skills gap?

For me, the proper question is, ‘what is the problem?’ We need to know this that for Nigeria to move out of the present economic doldrums, its abundant human resources need to be deployed effectively and efficiently to manage other natural resources. No nation experiences development above the skills level of its human resources.

First of all, we need credible data on the shortage of critical skills needed across many industries in the country. By identifying the mismatch between the skills available and those skills the industries need, various stakeholders can then develop strategies, policy recommendations and action plans to close existing gaps, enhance the employability of the youths and enhance the skills development infrastructure such that all those who enter the labour force have the relevant skills.

I read sometimes in 2015 that the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation wanted to partner the government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment on industrial skills gap survey in the country. This is a major way to address the problem.

Second, the labour market has become more competitive due to several reasons; as such, changing skill requirements is also very imperative. Adjusting the curriculum to rapidly changing needs of employers and the labour market is therefore very imperative.

The nation’s education system needs to be radically revamped if the economy is to survive in ‘the new world. Our educational curricula must be designed such that it is relevant to the current situation. Skills that are in critical short supply must be addressed while tailoring the curricula of our universities, polytechnics, technical colleges, monotechnics, and other specialised training institutions to meet demand of employers.

Third, far too many companies adopt short-term approach like poaching talent from each other rather than developing it. Businesses are thinking in the short-term, relying on the spot market for talent, rather than cultivating talent pipelines to ensure their long-term competitiveness. Companies too must develop formal on-the-job training system as part of their strategic HR to continuously train their employees from entry level in those critical skills.

There should be a greater sense of collaboration between business and the Nigerian government in helping to bridge the skills gap. Our companies should get involved in the educational system. The gap is only going to continue to grow if we do not take proactive steps to address it.

How can learning and development help develop the human capital?

Critical to an organisation’s growth and prosperity is gaining and retaining competitive advantage. Although most companies may pursue many paths to this end, one that is frequently not recognised is learning and development. That is why organisations in Nigeria really need to take leadership development very seriously. They should know that the key reason for the success of any organisation is the quality of its people.

You can achieve organisational success and true business results with learning and development programmes aligned to today’s most current business needs. I would love to see companies in Nigeria using the corporate university model that is focused on developing competencies of their people.

There are job loss threats in the country caused by the poor state of the economy. What role can human resource managers play to avert crises in their organisations?

The current trends in the country- falling crude oil prices, dwindling value of the naira, rising inflation, high running costs, staff retention, labour relations have placed added burdens on the human resources management functions in most organisations. This has seen most HR managers in various organisations implementing defensive actions, such as lay-offs and cutbacks in order to contain costs and remain afloat.

One of the quick actions I will advise HR managers to take is to assess their organisation’s human resources management capability by means of Strategic Human Resources Management Audit.

Just as CEOs will turn to the Chief Financial Officers for financial matters (account receivables, account payables, turnover), the Sales Manager for revenue accountability, HR managers must also be able to produce an assessment of their activities against alignment and contribution to organisation’s strategy and goals.

The Strategic Human Resources Management Audit is beyond the traditional do-it-right approach. It seeks to assess, among other things, value for money, ensures HR activity aligns with and contributes to organisational goals, ensures HR activity is aligned to the culture and practices of the organisation. And in the event of any flux or turbulence (as we are currently experiencing) affecting the workforce of the business, then HR will need to react to ensure that effective and appropriate remedial action is taken.

How can work-life balance be achieved in a challenging business environment?

In a country like Nigeria, a lot of employees do not really understand what work-life balance is. I have seen an employee of a bank who applied for leave and when he commenced the leave, he was virtually coming to the office every day for almost the period of his leave. His reason; there is really nowhere to travel to.

Also as an employer, if we look at the impact and costs of unhealthy and stressful workforce to any business, failing to improve work-life balance could result in poor performance, absenteeism and sick leave; and higher staff turnover, recruitment and training costs. In order to achieve work- life balance in a challenging business environment, your HR must be creative and be able to reorganise and design work in such a way that it would be more humane and also cost less to the employer.

Is there a need to review the penalties, sanctions and other aspects of the Nigerian Labour law?

I would say yes. Some aspects of the Nigerian Labour Act which passed in 1971 are outdated and should be reviewed to meet the current realities.

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